red and flowers...

a new bag!

~~~

i have

been wanting to sew

some grocery/shopping bags

this summer.

~~~

i sewed this one up

in no time!

~~~

using fabric bags

means using less plastic

and repurposing

some of my fabric stash~

2 reasons that make this project

a very good thing!
~~~

this bag is made from

a vintage tablecloth.

~~~

i love vintage tablecloths!

i especially love the red

and the flowers

on this fabric!

red and flowers~

2 of my favorite things!

~~~

the tablecloth was big enough

to make a bag...

~~~

and 2 runners

for our kitchen island.

~~~

i still have

a small piece left

of this vintage tablecloth.

~~~

i know i'll think

of something to do with it!

~~~

another project
for another day...
~~~~~
~~~
~
wishing you a day
filled with some of your favorite things!
peggy

tasty tuesday...

my june-bearing

"fragaria"

strawberries

have been good to me

this summer!

~~~

i wanted to

pick enough strawberries

to make jam.

i have been blessed

with enough to make a batch

of jam

and enough to freeze

for a few more batches!

~~~

i made strawberry jam

with my first

big picking

of strawberries!

~~~

strawberry jam

~~~

4c strawberries

4 c sugar

1 pkg pectin

1 t butter

~~~

combine the strawberries and sugar

in a large saucepan.

bring to a rolling boil,

stirring frequently.

add pectin and again,

bring to a rolling boil.

boil for 5 minutes

and remove from heat.

add butter

and stir.

(the butter eliminates much

of the foam

on the top of the jam.)

pour into jars.

~~~

this is the taste of summer...

strawberry jam

on no-knead toasted bread!

~~~

yum, yum, yum!

~~~

summer tastes good!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a tasty summer!

peggy

happy feet...

i love to be barefoot!

inside and out!

~~~

when i'm working outside

in the yard

and garden,

i'm barefoot

or in flip-flops.

~~~

needless to say,

my feet are not very pretty

and not very happy!

~~~

i mixed up this homemade footscrub

in hopes that i could make

my feet a little prettier

and a little happier!

~~~

homemade

and simple ingredients,

that makes me happy!

~~~

as it turns out,

the footscrub

makes my feet happy too!

~~~

we're all happy!

~~~

of course,

once it was mixed up,

to make me even happier,

i had to pretty up a jar

for my happy homemade footscrub!

~~~

i wrote the recipe

on some pretty paper

and glued it

inside the lid.

~~~

the recipe will be

rite where i need it

when i'm ready to

mix it up again!

~~~

homemade footscrub

~~~

1/4 c oatmeal

1/4 c cornmeal

1/4 c kosher salt

1/4 c unscented lotion

2 T aloe vera gel

~~~

i covered the lid

by gluing on

a piece of an old lace tablecloth

on top of a piece of muslin.

~~~

a pretty jar...

and happy feet!

~~~~~

~~~

~

make your feet happy!

peggy

rainy morning...

it's a rainy morning here...

~~~

the rain barrel is

full to over-flowing.

~~~

the rain is falling...

ever so gently.

~~~

the rain is

making puddles,

greening the grass,

refreshing the earth,

and clearing the air.

~~~

the rain is

a blessing,

to be sure.

~~~

i love what the rain does

for everything outside.

~~~

and i love that

it gives me

the chance to be inside

and catch up

on all those things

that tend to get neglected

on a sunny day!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you sunshine and rain!

peggy

summer blooms...

it's the first

day of summer!

~~~

summer is here!

~~~

hooray!

~~~

and i'm loving

every minute of it!

~~~

lovin' it!
~~~

the flowers know it's summer

and they're putting on

their summer show!

~~~

the sky blue delphiniums...

~~~

the raspberry parfait dianthus...
~~~

the strawberry parfait dianthus...

~~~

the sweet william...

~~~

and the floxglove

are all

loving this very first

day of summer
as much as i am!

~~~

and i'm loving

this very first
day of summer

thanx to the

sunshine

and

my summer blooms!
~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you many summer blooms!

peggy

mornings...

i love mornings!

~~~

i love to wake up

to sunshine streaming into

my bedroom windows

along with a cool summer breeze

and

to the birds singing me their

morning song.

~~~

this morning was one of

those mornings i absolutely love!

~~~

i love that

i can have my coffee and toast

and enjoy some quiet time

all to myself.

~~~

i love breakfast!

~~~

i love toast with jam

and coffee.

~~~

my homemade bread...

my homemade jam...

and the first-cup-of-the-pot coffee!

~~~

it doesn't get any better than this...

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a good morning!

peggy

thoughtful thursday...

home

is the definition

of god.

~~~

emily dickinson

~~~~~

~~~

~

may you know home...

peggy

snow in june...

snow in june?

~~~

yes, snow in june!

~~~

that's what i call it

when our cottonwood

sends out it's seeds

to grow and prosper!

~~~

this cottonwood

is the tallest tree

on our farm.

~~~

the tallest tree

and my most favorite tree!

i love it!

~~~

i love

that it is so tall,

that it has been around

for so many years,

and that it will be around

for so many more years.

~~~

i love the rustle

of the leaves
when a brisk breeze blows.

~~~

i love looking for this cottonwood,

from a distance,

when i come home.

~~~

i know i'm home

when i can see

my favorite tree!

~~~

and i love

that my cottonwood

sends

out it's seed

for the future.

~~~

i love snow in june...

~~~

when cottonwood seeds

float lazily

thru the air
and then

fall gently

to the ground.
~~~

i love

that the grass turns white...

~~~

whiter and whiter...

~~~

until the wind

and the rain

send the seeds

to their new home...
~~~

where the next generation

of cottonwoods

will live, grow, prosper,

and make snow of their own!

~~~~~

~~~

~

live, grow, and prosper!

peggy

tasty tuesday...

caramel rolls!

~~~

i mix the sweet dough

in my bread machine,

in this order.

~~~

sweet dough

~~~

1 1/2 c milk, warmed

1 1/2 t salt

6 T sugar

4 c flour

3 T butter

2 t yeast

~~~

the caramel recipe

comes from paula deen,

is easy peasy,

and has great flavor!

~~~

caramel

~~~

2 pkg butterscotch pudding (not instant)

1 c brown sugar

1 c butter

~~~

soften the butter

and add the brown sugar

and the pudding.

mix it together

and spread it into a 9x13 pan.

cover the caramel with

small pieces of sweet dough

and let rise.

~~~

bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

~~~

i baked these caramel rolls

for my friend amy,

and she told me

to tell you,

that these caramel rolls

are

faaaabulous!

~~~

amy is a great cook

and a big paula deen fan!

~~~

she knows faaaabulous

when she tastes it!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a faaabulous day!

peggy

simple summer goodness...

i love seeing

my old rag rugs

hanging on the line...

~~~

blowing in the breeze

and soaking up the smell

of summer sun!

~~~

i love the colors and stripes...

~~~
the fabrics and textures...
~~~

the rustic simplicity...

~~~

the homemade beauty.
~~~

ahhh...

simple summer goodness!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you summer's goodness!

peggy

wild roses...

i have been seeing

wild roses blooming

along the edge

of the gravel road

nell and i walk

each morning.

~~~

they are so pretty

and petite!

~~~

as small as they are in size,

they're that big in fragrance!

when you can't see them

amongst the grass

and other wildflowers

you smell them.

~~~

heavenly...

~~~

i picked a handful

of the tiny

rosy-pink buds

and brought them home.

~~~

i gently laid them

in a small bowl....

~~~

and added some water.
~~~
this morning...
~~~
the sweet little rosebuds
bloomed!
~~~~~
~~~
~
wishing you a day of sweet blooms!
peggy

fresh berries...

here they are...

~~~

my first strawberries

of the season!

~~~

aren't they beautiful?

~~~

sweet and delicious!

~~~

last strawberry season

i harvested

enough strawberries

for a few bowls

of strawberries and cream.

~~~

strawberries and cream

are my very favorite way

to enjoy fresh strawberries!

~~~

this strawberry season

i am hoping

for a bountiful harvest!

~~~

enough strawberries

for several bowls

of strawberries and cream

and

enough to freeze for

making strawberry rhubarb jam

this winter~

this being my second favorite use

of strawberries!

~~~

summer's berries are a berry good thing!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a berry good day!

peggy

miss kim...

miss kim has graced my yard

with her beautiful blooms.

~~~

they are so delicate

and soo fragrant!

~~~

i love that miss kim's

lavender blooms

follow

the purple blooms

of our old-fashioned lilacs.

~~~

this lengthens

the so-short lilac season.

~~~

the monarchs

love miss kim's blooms

as much as i do!

~~~

they flit and flutter...
~~~
sip nectar...
~~~

and add more grace

to our backyard.

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you grace...

peggy